The Golden Sun
by Rosenn Rae
Summary: WIP - Read author profile first. Follow the lives of fictional ThunderClan cats as they grow from apprentices to warriors. Main characters Sunpaw and Goldenpaw are joined by Tanpaw, Honeypaw, Blazepaw, and others as they make their way through hunting, training, Gatherings, ceremonies, and battles. Through it all, they hope to find their true loves and reach their happy ending.
1. Background

_"From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw."_

Hello! Welcome to _The Golden Sun_. That was a little tidbit of my story to come. This chapter is a background to enlighten you to my inspiration. This began at a time when I was re-reading the _Warriors_ series. Simultaneously, I met Shaun, a beautiful long-haired orange tom. He resided in the PetSmart Cat Adoption Center—a place where local humane centers bring in their cats to display them for the PetSmart customers. I saw Shaun, and I fell in love. This cat was absolutely massive. He was quite literally twice the size of some of the other cats in there! It was not that he was fat. He was giant, broad, and muscular. But his size did not affect his temperament. He was a sweet, gentle boy. Looking into his eyes, I felt as if he was looking into my soul. I could see a quick mind within him (the mind of a Warrior cat, perhaps?).

Unfortunately, the pawsteps of Shaun's path do not follow my own. I would have loved to take him home, but, alas, the circumstances of my life render me unable to adopt a friend at this moment. Shaun has since gone on to a different home than mine, with a loving and caring adoptive family. He now lives out his days in the comfortable ways of a kittypet. However, I am left to wonder… in a different life, in a different world, what would he have been like as a Warrior?

So my story has begun. Shaun has been reborn into the ThunderClan apprentice, Sunpaw. I imagine him to be a fierce fighter, one that is dedicated to the warrior code and loyal to his Clan. I also wondered what path his paws might take him in this alternate life. What friends or enemies would he make? What would he be like as a warrior? Will he find love? Who might his love be? I wrote a fan fic, long, long ago, when I first read the _Warriors _series. It was a small remake of the book, with my own characters and storyline. I have since taken from that tale, spinning a new web with characters that have been remade and lives which have been reshaped. I took the clay which I formed so long ago and remolded it into something more beautiful.

Other stories I have read on this fansite often end in misfortune. They commonly finish with the horrifying death of a main character, and, more often than not, it's due to doomed romance. A scorned lover dives off a cliff. A deceived mate kills the one she once loved. An act of revenge leads to a gory battle between the Clans. Love which ends in tragedy. Reading through the site, I was hard-pressed to find a story which ended in a 'happily ever after'. Was it too much to ask that two cats meet each other, fall in love, become mates, and live blissfully together in the end? Did someone really have to die? An important note: Don't mistake my disappointment for dislike. I do acknowledge the stories I read as good stories. They are excellently crafted tales: well-written, fantastically researched, very creative. I just needed a breath of fresh air. I therefore decided that Sunpaw's story would be one which, although it will have its ups and downs, and may have tragedies just like any Clan may face, will end in a _happily ever after_.

Sunpaw's personality is serious, loyal, and dedicated. He is strong and unyielding, like the great oak which does not bend, even in the strongest of storms. His fierce independence may perhaps sometimes come off as cold. Goldenpaw is the second character in my story. She is the polar opposite to Sunpaw. She radiates warmth, she is full of energy and enthusiasm. Unlike Sunpaw, the unyielding oak, Goldenpaw is the grass which bends in the wind. Over time, these cats will become warriors and their apprentice names will change. With that, their personalities will change, too. As Goldenpaw grows, her heart will grow. She will become full of love, kindness, compassion, and understanding. But as Sunpaw grows, will his heart grow as well? I asked myself that as the story played out over the pages. Will Goldenpaw be the warm wind which melts the ice over Sunpaw's heart? Or will he remain his unyielding self? Will courting Clanmates and unforeseen events get in the way?

I hope that the story you are about to read is what I imagine it to be. Let it be known that Sunpaw's life is not based on true events. I do not know Shaun the kittypet's life history, but I do not believe it is the same as Sunpaw's. The only truth in this story is that I used him as an inspiration: the massive long-haired orange tom whose calm green eyes seem to look deep into your soul. The rest of the Clan cats are completely fictional.


	2. Note to Readers

I pride myself on finding original names and pairing them with unique personalities, traits, and colors. In addition, the events of this story take place in an alternate timeline. You will find that ThunderClan is led by a noble tom by the name of Silverstar. He, too, is fictional. This takes place long before the events of the _Warriors_ series, when ThunderClan still resides in the forest by Twolegplace. It is meant to be a supplement to the series, providing fans like me with a look into the everyday lives of the warriors. There are no complex prophecies or grand journeys. This is simply about the battles of survival amongst the Clans, about the growth of the cats from kits to apprentices to warriors, about birth and death, about living and learning, and about friendship and love and happy endings.

Because I aim to be completely original, I do not wish to use any character names form the _Warriors_ series. If you should find that I have accidentally taken one of the Clanmate's names from Erin Hunter's books, please inform me. Also, if you like the name or personality of a cat I created, tell me! I worked hard to make these just right, so I appreciate a compliment. Or even a little constructive criticism. Don't like a character? Tell me why.

In addition, I am a "grammar nazi". I need to find and fix _**all**_mistakes. If you should find a single error, whether it be a misspelling, a grammatical mistake, or a sentence that needs changed, _let me know_. If you yourself didn't like how something was written, tell me how you would have written it. Maybe I didn't know how to word something, but I just didn't know how to say it. Please give me your input! I would kick myself if I saw a single letter misspelled.

Above all, if you wish to read and review, I would be absolutely thrilled! Give me anything to go on. It could be corrections for things I mentioned before (copyright mistakes, grammar fixes). Or it could be comments on what happened. I would love to hear what you think about each chapter. Did you approve of what happened? Did you not? Most importantly, _**why**_? The thing I would _hate_ most is to hear a comment from someone, and to not know why they gave me that comment. Constructive criticism is _always _welcome, as long as it is _**constructive**_. I am always willing to fix, to learn, to grow. Just as long as I have something to go on.

Because pictures and tables cannot be posted on here, I have an external blog which will provide additional explanations, pictures of the cats I used as inspiration, the list of the allegiances, and much more. Visit **rosennray .blogspot .com** (Remember to remove the spaces from the address.)

I realize this was long, but I just had to make myself clear.

So now, if I may, please…sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Let the cats of the Clans take you into their world. Come into the forest. Travel beyond Four Trees. Walk down the ravine. Pass through the gorse tunnel. Enter the ThunderClan camp…


	3. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER: SILVERSTAR—pale gray tom with silver-tipped coat

**Apprentice,** **Honeypaw**

DEPUTY: NIGHTPELT—sleek black tom

**Apprentice, Hazelpaw**

MEDICINE CAT: LILYWHISKER—pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with white chest

WARRIORS: (toms and she-cats without kits)

WHITEFOOT—gray tabby tom with white paws and chest

**Apprentice, Goldenpaw**

DAPPLEFUR—tortoiseshell she-cat

**Apprentice, Sunpaw**

BLACKTAIL—white tom with black ears and tail

**Apprentice, Tanpaw**

SANDSTRIPE—ginger tabby tom

**Apprentice,** **Brownpaw**

CREAMFUR—small pale cream-colored she-cat

FOXFUR—dark orange tom with bushy coat and tail

FEATHERMIST—pretty white and gray tabby she-cat

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)  
BLAZEPAW—black and white tom with a white streak up the center of his face

HONEYPAW—tortoiseshell she-cat with white chest

SUNPAW—big orange tom with long-haired coat

GOLDENPAW—small pale ginger she-cat with orange tabby stripes

TANPAW—small tom with pale cream coat

QUEENS_:_ (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

MOUSEPELT—brown tabby she-cat, oldest queen

ELDERS: (former warriors and queens, now retiring)

SHADETAIL—dark orange she-cat with fluffy coat

LONGSTRIPE—pale gray tabby tom

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER: BROWNSTAR—sleek brown she-cat

DEPUTY: THICKCLAW—big dark gray tabby with sharp claws

**Apprentice, Nettlepaw**

MEDICINE CAT:

WARRIORS: (toms and she-cats without kits)

HAWKSHADOW—mottled yellow and black tom with black face

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)  
NETTLEPAW—dark brown tom

QUEENS_:_ (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

ELDERS: (former warriors and queens, now retiring)

WINDCLAN

LEADER: LEAPINGSTAR—small brown tabby tom capable of leaping great heights

DEPUTY: LONGWHISKER—black and white tom with long white whiskers

MEDICINE CAT:

WARRIORS: (toms and she-cats without kits)

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

QUEENS_:_ (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

CLOUDFEATHER—light brown tabby she-cat

ELDERS: (former warriors and queens, now retiring)

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: STEAMSTAR—fierce dark gray tabby she-cat

DEPUTY: PEBBLECOAT—mottled brown and tan tom

MEDICINE CAT: SHIMMERHEART—light gray and white tabby she-cat

WARRIORS: (toms and she-cats without kits)

ROCKFROST— dark gray tabby tom

**Apprentice, Bushpaw**

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)  
BUSHPAW—ginger she-cat with bushy tail

QUEENS_:_ (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

ELDERS: (former warriors and queens, now retiring)

FLATFACE—ginger and white she-cat with flattened face


	4. Apprentice Ceremony

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

The yowl rang throughout the camp and cats began to join together in the clearing. It was sunhigh, and the sun bathed the clearing in bright light. ThunderClan's leader, Silverstar, leapt up onto Highrock and looked down upon his Clan. A pale cream-colored she-cat stepped forward from the crowd, nuzzling two kits ahead of her. Silverstar smiled down at them. He addressed the first kit, a small pale tom who looked identical to his mother.

"Tankit," he began. The cat looked up at him with eyes as wide as the sky. He straightened up at the mention of his name, fighting to keep the nervousness from showing. Silverstar continued.

"You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Tanpaw. Your mentor will be Blacktail." At the mention of his name, the white tom strode towards Highrock, his long black tail held high with pride.

"Blacktail, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You will be mentor to Tanpaw. I trust that you will pass on to him your loyalty and courage. May StarClan watch over you both."

Blacktail nodded, his composure serious but his eyes gleaming with happiness. He padded over to Tanpaw and reached down to touch noses with the younger tom. Behind them, the Clan began calling out the cat's new name, welcoming Tanpaw into the Clan. The mentor and his new apprentice walked side-by-side to rejoin their Clanmates.

"Goldenkit, please come forward," Silverstar instructed. The second kit walked up to Highrock. The little she-cat was even smaller than her brother, with a similar cream coat. She danced on her paws, barely able to contain her eagerness as she gazed up at Silverstar.

"You, too, have reached the age of six moons," he said, "and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw. Whitefoot will be your mentor."

Goldenpaw suppressed a gasp of excitement at the naming of her new mentor. The gray tabby emerged from the crowd. His white paws stood in stark contrast to his dark coat. Goldenpaw resisted the urge to bound up to him immediately. He took his place standing next to her and looked to Silverstar.

"Whitefoot, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Goldenpaw. I trust that you will pass on your wisdom and patience to her. May StarClan watch over you both."

Whitefoot nodded respectfully to Silverstar, and then turned to face Goldenpaw. She was beaming up at him. He reached down and touched noses with her.

"Are you ready, little one?" he asked, his voice low enough so only she could hear him. Her eyes glittered with anticipation of what was to come.

"Yes," she whispered back, her answer hardly more than a breath. Whitefoot purred and turned away, calling out her name to the Clan.

"Goldenpaw!" he yowled happily. The rest of ThunderClan joined in. "Goldenpaw! Goldenpaw!" The young she-cat looked around at her Clanmates and felt pride swell through her. She thought of the many moons to come as she would hunt and fight for her Clan. Exhilaration surged through her like a lightning bolt and she felt as if nothing could stop her.

"Goldenpaw!" she heard a familiar voice cry. She gave herself a quick shake and looked around to see her brother pushing his way through the crowd, which was now beginning to disperse. Tanpaw came up to her and licked her shoulder in congratulations. She did the same to him.

"We're apprentices now!" he exclaimed. Goldenpaw purred in delight.

"I know! We'll be training just like the others," she said. As she spoke, one of their fellow apprentices approached. The older she-cat was a pretty tortoiseshell–her fur was mottled black, brown, with just a hint of white on her chest. Patches of the two darker colors adorned her face, giving her a masked appearance. She greeted the two new apprentices as she came near.

"Congratulations, Tanpaw and Goldenpaw!" she meowed.

"Thank you, Honeypaw!" Tanpaw replied. Goldenpaw dipped her head in thanks.

"I'll show you two the apprentices' den," Honeypaw offered, flicking her tail in the right direction. "Come on, follow me!"

They walked towards the clump of ferns where the apprentices nested and shouldered their way through. Inside, sunlight trickled through the leaves and created crisscrossing patterns of shadows in the hollow. It was cool out of the sun, and the space was very inviting.

"That's my nest," Honeypaw said, pointing with her tail to a scraped-out area in the den floor. "And that's Blazepaw's, and that's Sunpaw's." She pointed to the other two nests in turn. "We'll have to get you two started on nests of your own. You can bring in moss and bedding for that."

"When can we eat?" Tanpaw asked suddenly. Goldenpaw shot a glance at him, but then realized she was hungry, too. They hadn't eaten all day—they had been too excited for the ceremony. Honeypaw laughed.

"Right now, if you want. We can go grab some fresh-kill."

"Great," Goldenpaw said with a happy sigh, as her stomach rumbled in agreement. She was closest to the den entrance and spun around to leave. Her path, however, was blocked by another cat. She almost ran into him as she turned around.

"Watch out!" he spat, his ears flattening. He was a long-haired tom, his orange coat puffing out as he hissed at her. Goldenpaw crouched down.

"Sorry!" she said, "I didn't mean to!" He looked around at the two other cats in the den, then glanced back at her. He let his fur lie flat, but his ears were still down.

"Just watch where you're going," he muttered, with less ferocity this time. He addressed all three of them. "I'm going on dusk patrol with Dapplefur tonight, so I need my rest. Try not to wake me." He shot a glare at Goldenpaw with the last statement. Then he brushed past her and made his way towards his nest. Goldenpaw quickly got up and made her way out of the den. Honeypaw and Tanpaw were right behind her.

"Just ignore Sunpaw," Honeypaw said. "That cat's got a furball stuck somewhere." Goldenpaw glanced back at the den she had just emerged from.

"He's gotten so big!" she exclaimed in amazement. "He was only apprenticed a moon ago. I remember playing in the nursery with him."

"You mean when he would knock you over all the time?" Tanpaw asked. "That didn't seem like much fun. His idea of playing is just being a bully." Goldenpaw raised her chin defiantly.

"He just wanted to pretend we were warriors," she defended. "It's not his fault I wasn't very good at it." Tanpaw snorted. Honeypaw decided to intervene.

"How about that fresh-kill?" she suggested diplomatically. The two siblings threw one last look at each other. Then they followed Honeypaw towards the fresh-kill pile, walking off to have their first meal as certified apprentices.


	5. Training Session

"Watch your stance, Goldenpaw! You'll never get a swipe in if you can't balance yourself."

Whitefoot's patient words rang through the training hollow. It was no more than half a moon since Goldenpaw's apprentice ceremony, and she was working on her first training session. She rocked back and forth on her haunches, trying to maintain a firm stance on the sandy floor of the hollow. Whitefoot was poised in front of her, ready for her to pounce.

She had gone out on patrol with Whitefoot right after her ceremony to learn ThunderClan's borders. In the days after that, he had taught her several hunting techniques. In fact, just yesterday she caught her first prey. Goldenpaw purred as she remembered killing the mouse, and the pride she had felt as she showed it to Whitefoot. His eyes had lit up as she brought back the plump prey. She was so happy to impress her mentor!

"Goldenpaw, are you going to stand there all day?"

She blinked as she realized she had been daydreaming about yesterday's catch. Whitefoot still stood in front of her, waiting for her to strike. Well, now was as good a time as any to impress him!

Goldenpaw sized him up. He was much bigger than she. He towered over her, his large white paws supporting muscular shoulders. She, on the other hand, was small and slender, almost half his size. He would most certainly have strength on his side, but perhaps she would have speed on hers. She decided to give it a shot.

Goldenpaw darted forward, quick as a rabbit. She struck out a front paw, but Whitefoot immediately blocked it. She tried a second time, aiming lower, but he blocked that too. Then she dove underneath him, her tiny body easily fitting between his long legs. Goldenpaw slid below his stomach, flipping onto her back. She raked her hind legs across his exposed fur. Whitefoot gave a surprised yowl. Just as she had hoped, he hadn't expected Goldenpaw to do that.

She darted out a paw and scratched at Whitefoot's hind legs. She saw him shift, and she instantly rolled out to the side—a second before he came crashing down in an attempt to squash her. She moved nimbly out of the way, and Whitefoot got up again, his plan to crush her having failed. She crouched down and faced her mentor. He met her eyes and she saw he was panting a bit. He blinked a few times, and then began to purr.

"Well done, Goldenpaw!" he congratulated. "You've used your speed to your advantage. That's very good." Goldenpaw straightened up and beamed at the compliment. Whitefoot sat back on his haunches and licked his paw, then swiped it over his face.

"That's enough for today. You've learned quickly," he said.

Suddenly, they heard a yowl from across the training hollow. They turned to see two cats engaged in battle. Goldenpaw recognized Honeypaw instantly. It took her a moment longer to realize that she was training with her mentor. The pale gray coat of Silverstar, the Clan leader himself, rippled over his lean muscles as he locked in combat with Honeypaw. His yellow eyes shown with excitement as he traded blows with his apprentice. Goldenpaw could see that he was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Honeypaw, however, put up quite the fight herself. She was the oldest apprentice, practically a warrior. In less than a moon she and her brother, Blazepaw, would be ready for an assessment and, hopefully, their warrior ceremony. Seeing Honeypaw fight, however, there was no doubt that the tortoiseshell she-cat was ready to leave her apprenticeship behind. She was a formidable opponent, and her battle cries split the air as she dealt blows of her own against Silverstar.

For a moment, Goldenpaw felt a pang of jealousy at the fact that Honeypaw had the Clan leader as a mentor. She quickly shook off the feeling, however, as she remembered who her own mentor was. Though she was Whitefoot's first apprentice, the young warrior had already proven himself a wise and clever tutor. She knew that in the moons to come, he would be caring but firm to her. Goldenpaw was confident that she would have the best tutelage under him.

As she finished watching Honeypaw and Silverstar battle in the training hollow, Goldenpaw felt Whitefoot's tail flick her shoulder.

"Come," he meowed. "Let's head back to camp."

The young apprentice nodded and obediently followed. The two headed off, making their way through the woods. Newleaf was coming to a close. The sweet smells of blooming flowers and cool rain were welcoming in warm sunshine and lush forest. Goldenpaw's spirit soared as she looked forward to experiencing her first greenleaf.

Mentor and apprentice padded through the gorse tunnel into the ThunderClan camp. It was buzzing with activity. Cats made their way back and forth, speaking with one another, sharing tongues, eating fresh-kill. After saying 'goodbye' to his apprentice, Whitefoot left Goldenpaw and headed over to where several warriors were grouped together. She watched him go and then turned to see her brother, Tanpaw, eating outside the apprentices' den. She trotted over to him.

"Hi, Tanpaw!" she greeted. "What's going on?"

"Didn't you hear?" Tanpaw said, his voice sour. "They announced who's going to the Gathering tonight." Goldenpaw blinked. The Gathering! She had completely forgotten that tonight was the full moon. Her tail drooped.

"We're not going are we?" she asked sadly. Tanpaw shook his head. Goldenpaw sighed and lied down next to him, her head sinking into her paws. She had suspected she wouldn't be allowed to go—she was too new an apprentice—but she had still hoped Silverstar would make an exception. A cat's first Gathering was the most amazing experience! It's what a kit dreamed of! Now she had to wait an entire moon.

"Well, they need someone to watch the camp," Goldenpaw reasoned allowed. "If anything should happen while they're gone, we'll have to guard it." Tanpaw just shrugged. His sister went on rambling. "Besides, Mousepelt's too close to kitting, so she's staying here. They need someone to look after her and the other elders. We're perfect for the job."

Tanpaw pushed his mouse away, obviously not hungry anymore. Goldenpaw happily finished it off for him.

"If we weren't so small, we'd be allowed to go!" Tanpaw spat. His ears were flat in anger.

Goldenpaw looked at him sympathetically. The two of them had always been smaller than most kits. They had inherited it from their mother, Creamfur, who was a slender she-cat. It worked to Goldenpaw's advantage—being so tiny, she tended to look a moon younger than she was, and she liked that. However, toms liked to look big and muscular. Tanpaw was still strong, but his lean physique made him look like an old kit rather than a young apprentice.

Goldenpaw gave her brother a quick lick on the ear to reassure him. He purred his thanks, although his tail still flicked in annoyance. Tanpaw had always been short-tempered. Something as upsetting as this easily made him angry.

"Sunpaw's so big, I bet he could have gone to a Gathering when he was still in the nursery," he grumbled. Goldenpaw laughed. Then she looked up as she realized a cat was standing right behind Tanpaw. She was mortified to realize it was Sunpaw. She coughed awkwardly.

"Um, Sunpaw, hi! I didn't see you there," she mewed, her voice coming out in a squeak.

His eyes narrowed. "I know," he meowed, then raised his chin haughtily. "And I _am_ going to the Gathering tonight." The embarrassment Goldenpaw felt was washed away by amazement.

She sprung to her paws. "Really? You get to go? You're so lucky! This will be your first Gathering right?" Sunpaw blinked, caught off guard by the barrage of questions.

"Yeah, this is the first time I get to go," he confirmed. Goldenpaw looked at him with awe.

"That will be so cool! Can you tell me about it when you get back? I would love to hear all about it! I want to know everything that happens!" Her paws kneaded the ground in excitement. Sunpaw looked at her coolly.

"Why don't you just listen to Silverstar when he tells the rest of the Clan about it? I'll need my sleep. After all, I'll be out on patrol tomorrow." He said it with an air of importance, making it clear that his patrol was of higher priority than filling in Goldenpaw on the events of the Gathering. He spun around and stalked off. Goldenpaw watched him walk away.

"Okay, well… have fun!" she called after him, not really sure if she meant it.

She turned back to Tanpaw and huffed, eyes sparkling with anger.

"What a mean little cat!"


End file.
